Oklahoma finished 11-2 last season and defeated Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The Sooners are Sporting News' preseason No. 1.

Stoops, meanwhile, is one of seven coaches in the Power 5 conferences with a winning percentage better than .800. Stoops, however, has been at Oklahoma since 1998. He's tied with Kirk Ferentz for the longest tenured coach other than Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer among the Power 5 conferences.